


Come As You Are

by lilstrawbaby



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Career Change, Life Partners, Multi, Murder Husbands, Open Relationships, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), Past Violence, Truth, murder couple, new relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 23:01:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10818564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilstrawbaby/pseuds/lilstrawbaby
Summary: I don't know what the hell this is. I don't know where it is going. I don't know if I'm going to finish it. It demanded to be written and I complied, then the muse went AWOL.





	Come As You Are

The remoteness of their island paradise made a landline a requirement. It was also necessary as the community's only qualified surgeon. Major accidents were rare, but not unheard of, and it was a boon to discover their newest addition had more practical use than a movie theater, a few restaurants that catered exclusively to American tastes, or a swanky members-only club within the walls of their end of the island with it's formidable gates and security, which raised many an eyebrow and a great deal of curiosity about the goings on behind those walls.

It came as a surprise to the younger man his lover had not only chosen, but seemed to embrace whole-heartedly, a simpler existence. Perhaps that is why The Call took him unawares.

"Puis-je vous parler, Jean-Pierre?"

His brow furrowed at the husky female voice. "I'm sorry, I don't speak French."

"Apologies. May I speak with Jean-Pierre please?"

"He isn't here at the moment. Can I take a message?"

"Non, no message. I will ring again."

He stared at the receiver in his hand after hearing a click on the other end. He carefully returned it to the cradle and rubbed his chin, wondering who the woman was, how she knew this "Jean-Pierre" and if her lover knew who these people were. He would certainly be inquiring about her this evening.

-@-@-@-@

"Good evening, Will."

"Hannibal. Or, should I say, Jean-Pierre."

"I beg your pardon?"

"A woman called here today, asking for Jean-Pierre."

"It must have been a wrong number."

"She seemed pretty sure about it. I'm also pretty sure she was speaking in French, but when I told her I didn't speak it, she switched to English."

"Did she have an accent? Was she American, French?"

"French I think. She had an accent when she spoke English."

"Did she leave a name or a message?"

"No, she said she would ring again, I assume that means she'll call back."

Hannibal chuckled. "It does. I sincerely hope she's calling about the surgical supplies I ordered and have yet to receive. It isn't dire yet, but it could certainly become that way."

"Wouldn't she have left a message?"

"I couldn't say, Will, but I know no Frenchwomen desperate to speak with me."

"HER people were French. Maybe she-"

"Stop, Will. She is gone. That animal-" Hannibal broke off, turning his back to his lover and swallowing hard. His shoulders sagged as Will wrapped an arm around the larger man, pulling him back against his chest. "I know you do not understand what I saw in her, but if you had given her a chance, I know you would have liked her."

"I did like her, Hannibal...but I was jealous. I couldn't get past her knowing you the way I wanted to, but was too cowardly to act on."

"You made a choice, Will, we all did. In the end, you won the day," Hannibal said bitterly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, I guess you shouldn't have."

"I just don't understand how you could still love her. I thought you wanted to be with me, and yet you still pine for her."

Hannibal raised his eyebrows. "I don't pine."

"You say her name in your sleep and you don't sound angry. Sometimes you wake up and fuck me after you've said her name. Did you think I'd never know, Hannibal? Is it her calling you, some kind of code for a bootie call?"

"Yes, Will, that's exactly what it is. You found us out."

"Don't be an asshole."

"I'm not the one being an asshole. You are paranoid and jealous of a dead woman."

"I just told you I am! I don't need you throwing it back in my face!"

"What do you want from me, Will? I cannot help how I feel about her, but who am I with now? Who have I dedicated myself to?"

"Because she's gone! If she walked back into your life tonight, you would walk away from me without a backward glance."

"I would not!"

"Then prove it! Tell me who the woman was! I saw your face when I told you who she asked for and I felt it, just for a second, the hope. You knew exactly who it was and what she wanted, so why don't you be honest with me for a change."

"Because honesty isn't one of Hannibal's strong suits," Bedelia said, her voice husky.

Both men whirled, staring at the woman standing in the open doorway of their small home. She looked pale and fragile, the racerback tank and camisole beneath it hanging loosely from her frame, the khaki cargo shorts slung low on her hips revealing the reality of the horror she had faced after they fled, leaving her unprotected. In her hands, she gripped the handles of forearm crutches, and leaned on them heavily. Her hair was much longer than it had been the last time they saw her, falling below her shoulder blades, and darker, the color of golden honey.

"Jesus, Bedelia," Will gasped, automatically reaching out to aid her. She smiled gratefully at him, taking him aback momentarily, before he helped her to the living room and into a chair. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Someone was upset with me for disrespecting Hannibal and took their pound of flesh. And then I took mine, with a seafood fork."

"That's my girl." Hannibal beamed proudly and met Will's eyes. "Bedelia has always been a worthy adversary."

"And now I'm just a lame duck. I came here to give you both the prize you were denied."

Hannibal gasped, "What?"

"You can't possibly have come here to sacrifice yourself."

"I assumed you sent her. Why else would she have come, cut off my leg, and cooked it up like it was one of Hannibal's gourmet meals?"

"She? Bedelia, who was it?"

"It was Chiyoh, wasn't it?" Will glared at Hannibal and demanded, "Did you send her?"

"No! I had no idea where she had gone to ground after Florence. I assumed she returned home."

"Why would she return to Lithuania? There was nothing left for her there."

"None of that really matters now because she's dead," Bedelia said, her tone flat.

"You were the one who called."

Hannibal sighed and said to Will, "You were right, I did know it was her. It was a code, one I worked out with her when we fled from Baltimore the first time. It was for emergencies only and I knew she would come the moment you brought it up."

Her voice wavering, she queried, "May I have some water?"

"Of course." Will rose and rushed into the kitchen, pouring her a glass of water from the filtered pitcher in the refrigerator. When he returned, Hannibal was seated beside Bedelia, holding her hand, speaking to her quietly. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she whispered, accepting the glass with a shaking hand.

"May I examine it, Bedelia? I want to make sure you don't have an infection."

"I don't have one, I prescribed myself antibiotics before I left Baltimore and I'm still taking them."

"Good. Was it a clean removal?"

"If I didn't know better, I would think a surgeon removed it."

"She must have studied," Will mused.

"That's one way to put it," Hannibal responded darkly, mopping his face with his hand. "She watched me for years. She knows I liked to toy with them, that I kept them alive using my surgical knowledge, taking them a piece at a time. But I have to ask, did she eat or did she just cook and serve it to you?"

"I killed her before she sat down at the table. I wasn't going to die like that, not at her hands."

"No explanations are necessary. I never would have suspected she could do that."

"I did," Will said darkly, giving Hannibal the side eye. "She threw me off a speeding train."

"You didn't tell me that." He snorted and shook his head. "I'm surprised, actually. She was never one to be impulsive."

"Perhaps she's taking a page from her good friend Hannibal Lecter's book. She has watched you all these years and decided to try her hand at it," Bedelia suggested wryly.

"No," Will muttered, scowling. "It's my fault. I killed her prisoner because I wanted her help. I thought if she had no reason to stay, she would come with me, lead me to Hannibal, perhaps help me kill him to free herself. I think I inadvertantly tipped the scales in the wrong direction."

Quietly, Hannibal asked, "Are you certain you killed her?"

"I am," Bedelia murmured, rubbing her injured thigh with both hands. "It wasn't malice, it was survival, hers or mine."

"Are you in pain?"

"I'm learning to handle it."

"I'd like to get you fitted for a prosthetic. After you heal properly, you can learn to walk with it. We will get you back on your feet, help you regain your health."

"I didn't come here for sanctuary, I came here to confront you, to show you I still live on, and truthfully, hoping you would end me. I'm exhausted, weakened, and I won't put up a fight."

"There was a time I thought I could, dear Bedelia," Hannibal whispered, pulling her into his arms, cradling her close, "I am certain now that I cannot. Seeing you again, I know for certain I cannot harm you, and Chiyoh is lucky she is dead or I would take her a piece at a time."

"I don't think Will is very happy with your decision, Hannibal," she murmured, her gaze focused on the distance. She gathered up her crutches and moved to stand, "I'll go."

"No, Bedelia, stay. You are welcome here," Will said, his face open and friendly. "You need time to recover and regain your strength."

"Take me while I am down. I don't want to play games anymore." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she did not let them fall, would not given them that satisfaction, but she did allow them see the cracks in her foundation. "Please, Hannibal."

"NO!" Hannibal roared at her, pulling her into his arms, hugging her so tightly she squeaked in pain. "I will never let you go, Delia. You are mine."

"You are OURS, Bedelia. You are safe here, and always will be," Will said in a choked voice, wrapping his arms around the two.

Bedelia muttered something neither man could hear. Each man let go and pulled back, Hannibal's palms on her face, Will's hand on her shoulder.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm not putting out for safety and a warm bed," she repeated defiantly, daring them to argue the point.

"No one is asking you to," Will responded slowly, looking at her then to Hannibal, in bafflement.

"Things have changed, my dear. I haven't killed anyone and and we haven't eaten flesh of that nature in a very long time. Never again will I attempt to coerce or persuade you to be something you are not. You have my word, those days are done."

"You will have to forgive me for demanding you prove that, Hannibal. You don't always say what you mean and mean what you say."

"She has a valid point," Will admitted, giving his lover a knowing look. "You can't deny that."

"I accept those terms," he agreed, with a nod, "But I ask in return that you stay here with us and get well. I ask that you give me a chance to prove myself to you, to prove I have changed, to show you-"

"Show me what?"

Will chuckled and shook his head. "Because he loves you, Bedelia, he just hadn't identified the feeling until after you parted ways. He tried to move on, but you have always been here in spirit."

"And as you know, Will, I knew Delia long before you and I ever met."

"What he means to say is, Hannibal and I had tumbled together in the sheets long before Florence."

The younger man's mouth dropped open. "He was your patient!"

"We were colleagues before that and had every right to enjoy each other."

"All right, this is getting uncomfortable," Bedelia said, leaning back against the sofa back, her gaze watchful of both men.

"Why should it be uncomfortable? We have enjoyed each other, Will and I have enjoyed each other, there is no shame in that."

"I'm not ashamed, Hannibal, but there is a degree of discomfort in living with someone whom you've been intimate with and their new lover."

"She has a point."

"Thirty minutes ago, you hated her with the power of a thousand suns, now you're besties?"

Will looked Bedelia squarely in the eye and admitted, "I didn't really hate you, I just said I did."

"I know, Will. You don't have to explain."

"How do you know?"

"Did you never wonder about my endless fascination with her?"

"Her looks and intelligence aside?"

"Why, Will Graham, you'll make me blush like a schoolgirl."

"She's smart and she's sassy. She's also brave and not nearly as afraid of you as she should be, Hannibal." He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, a barely there caress and said with a grin, "It's difficult not to like her, even if you want to punch her in her smart mouth sometimes."

"Up yours, Graham," she said coolly and smirked.

"See what I mean? Fearless and bold."

"Not fearless, just reckless enough to believe I have more use to two killers than the main course."

"It's what endears you to me," Hannibal explained, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"How did you know I was lying to you about hating you?"

Slowly, she looked up at him and whispered, "Pure empathy."

Curiously, Hannibal inquired, "How did you not notice her influence?"

He demanded angrily, "Have you been doing it this time too?"

"Not once. I've kept myself contained since I came to the island. I learned to control it, you did not, but I can teach you how."

-@-@-@-@

"Bedelia," Will called softly, two weeks after her reappearance in their lives, poking his head into the bathroom. His eyes caught her reflection, sitting in the tub, hair in a messy bun, staring down at the water. He averted his eyes and said softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

"You aren't. Come in, you and I have no secrets."

"Of course we do."

"We won't for long. It's all right, because for the first time in my life, I want to be seen by the people I think might actually appreciate me for who I am."

"Of course we appreciate you, Bedelia. You are an amazing woman. I don't know all the dirty details, but it's clear you are a survivor, a woman of ethics and principles, and you care about people. As sick as you were when you came here, having just lost your leg, you cared about my feelings."

"I did. I do. It was never my intent to come here and get between you and Hannibal. I just needed to go somewhere safe, to recover."

"Did you know? In Florence, I mean, did you know how he felt about you?"

"Of course I did. But he didn't know it yet, and I wasn't going to tell him."

"What a woman you are, Bedelia Du Maurier." Will smiled and came into the room, crouching beside the bathtub. "Is this too forward of me?"

"I'm much less concerned about physical nudity, far less risky."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," he chortled good-naturedly. "But people like us know very well the dangers of the feelings of others."

"Yes, we do. Especially in how they affect us."

"Hannibal loves us both."

"I know he does. But I don't harbor any notions of possession, if you were worried."

"I wasn't and I'm not. I knew he would never be complete without the both of us. He was beside himself when he thought you were gone, based on the news coverage. He couldn't even talk about it. The first night, he had a horrible nightmare and woke up crying. He doesn't know I heard him, so please don't say anything to him about it."

"You have my solemn promise. I'll never breathe a word of it."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, I know you have a soft touch because of your love for dogs, but how are your skills as a masseuse?"

"You're demanding a massage?"

"Not demanding, asking. My leg is killing me and I don't have the strength or the dexterity to-"

"All right, all right."

"Go ahead, climb in."

"G-Get in the tub? With you?"

"Yes, in here, with me. The water is warm, it will help me relax, help the muscles relax."

"All right."

He swallowed his anxiety and removed his t-shirt and board shorts. He hesitated over his boxers and said, "No laughing. I'm doing you a favor here, remember that."

"I'm a doctor, in case you've forgotten, so I have more than a passing acquaintance with the human body. And I'm well aware of the favor you're doing me, so I'm most appreciative." She watched him with the eye of a predator appraising a meal as he slipped off his undershorts and climbed into the bath with her, humming in appreciation as his hands began to gently massage what was left of her mutilated thigh. "You're very good with your hands, Will. I assure you I will be most appreciative later."

Will paused for a moment, his heart skipping a beat, and quirked an eyebrow. "Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs Robinson?"

She laughed. She laughed so hard tears leaked from her eyes and brought Hannibal on the run. He crossed his arms and smiled languidly, watching them silently for a moment. "Will, you have done the impossible. You have made her laugh, truly laugh. I haven't heard that sound in a very long time."

"All I did was ask if she was trying to seduce me."

"Oh no no no, it was more than that, Hannibal. He called me Mrs Robinson."

Hannibal uttered a low, rumbling chuckle and shook his head. "From the looks of things, he really isn't that far off track, Delia."

Snorting, she threw her sponge at him, to Will's surprise. Where he was still hesitant around Hannibal, Bedelia had no such qualms. That came from a great deal more intimacy and time with him than Will had put in, but he wasn't jealous anymore. From the moment he stepped into the bathroom with her, she had opened herself to him completely and he had done the same for her in return. He knew how she felt about Hannibal, and now she knows how he feels about him, but to their mutual surprise, they shared an admiration and affinity for each other.

"Delia, settle down, now. There's no need in upsetting our Will."

"Not upset, fascinated. She's positively giddy in your presence. I can make her laugh, sure, but you make her come alive."

Her gaze lowered immediately, her anxiety shooting through the roof. "That's not-he isn't-"

"Delia, stop," Hannibal murmured, taking her hand. "You made me come alive. It's the reason I could not leave you alone after your retirement, it's the reason I keep coming back to you. Will knows this, but he also knows I love him desperately too. I need both of you for very different reasons, but I don't love one of you more than the other."

"We know that, Hannibal. We opened up to each other before you came in. Neither of us has any interest in hurting our individual relationships with you. In fact, we're interested in building one with each other," Will explained.

"Good. Great! I'm thrilled to hear it. I was afraid I'd have to break up fights all the time."

"As if," Will retorted, giving Bedelia a sly wink.

"Are you saying you'd kick my ass?"

"Like a kid eats candy."

"Will," Hannibal said, struggling to contain his amusement, "Bedelia has a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do. She could kill you and not break a sweat."

"Shut the front door. Never would have guessed that."

"Not many do, and that's just the way I like it. When people underestimate me, it makes my job a lot easier."

"I can understand that," Will mused quietly. "How's your leg feeling? Any better?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."

"Please, will you help me get out?"

Hannibal smiled encouragingly at her, for he knew better than anyone what it took for her to ask for help. Bedelia abhorred weakness, especially in herself. She returned his encouragement with a slight nod, an acknowledgement of the new world order, and held her arms up like a small child to a trusted adult. Will took her hands and kissed the back of each one, smiling warmly at her before wrapping her arms around his neck, putting his hands under her arms and hauling her up. Will was completely steady, but as a show of unity, Hannibal held them both.

"Will you help me get to bed? I'm so tired."

"Of course we will, Tiny Oak."

She glowered at him and hissed, "Tiny Oak?"

"It's not an insult. Oak trees are strong and enduring, they shelter and protect, just like you. It's no longer necessary to be your glacial majesty, not here with us."

"What he means to say-"

Bedelia interrupted him gently, "I know what he means and he's right. I expect you to call me out when I'm doing it, until I stop. Learned behavior has to be unlearned."

"She's correct, but she's only her glacial majesty when she feels threatened or insulted. And I have to admit, you really have her number, and an excellent way with words."

"Eat me, Hannibal."

"Is that an offer? Because you know I'm not one to turn down exceptional sex, and you aren't one to use vulgarity for the sake of being profane."

"I'm not ready for that, Hannibal. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Will soothed, stroking her hair.

"I was only teasing you," Hannibal reassured, fingering a lock of her hair.

"There is no pressure. From either of us. Right Hannibal? You're under no obligation to be intimate with either of us. Ever. That isn't a condition of your staying here with us, being safe and cared for, not ever," Will swore with a passion she had only seen from him while he was determined to put an end to the man they were now sharing living quarters with. "Tell me you understand and believe that."

"I do and I appreciate it." She blushed ducking her head nervously. "I'll do what I can now, and when I'm better, I will get a real job."

"Delia my love, you don't have to earn your keep. I make enough for us all to live well enough. All you need to focus on is getting better. Focus on today and let the future take care of itself, can you do that for me?"

"I will, you have my word."

"Good, because Will will be looking after you until you are one hundred percent again."

"I don't need a nursemaid," she groaned, looking up at Will with pleading eyes.

"Sorry, Bedelia, but you've got one for the time being. I'm not going to make you stay in bed like an invalid, you aren't that sick, but you do need rest and time to heal. I'll watch over you while you do and you can teach me to cook."

Leaning back to look him in the eyes, she asked, "And what makes you think I can cook?"

"As much as you appreciate the finer things in life, you cut yourself off from the world. You wouldn't be able to do that if you couldn't cook for yourself."

"Touché, mon ami."

"It was you."

"My father was French. I spent much of my childhood there, so I'm fluent. And Hannibal loves French cuisine, don't you, mon trésor?"

"I do." He kissed her forehead, then Will's and said, "Let's get you settled."

Will carried her to the bedroom across the hall from the Master bedroom and placed her on the bed with more tenderness than she would have suspected. While Hannibal searched her bag for her sleepwear, Will dried her off with a towel he had grabbed from the bathroom on the way out, then wrapped it around his waist. Gone were the silks and lace of her past life and in their place was sturdy cotton. He grabbed a pair of bikini panties and a camisole, and helped her get dressed, while Will tucked her in under a thin blanket, kissed her forehead and wished her a good night.

"I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well."

"Good night, Will."

Hannibal touched Will's arm and said softly, "I'll be there in a bit, I'd like to talk to Delia for a moment."

"Of course."

Will closed the door behind him, and Hannibal faced her, taking her hand, lacing their fingers together. "Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi."

"J'ai besoin de toi. Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi, le grand amour."

"Tu es ma joie de vivre. Tu me rends heureux. M'apprécies-tu?"

"Je t'aime, connard. Tu es l'amour de ma vie et je t'aime de tout mon coeur. Est-ce que tu m'aimes?"

"Je suis fou de toi, mon amour. À toi, pour toujours."

"Va le voir, Hannibal. Bonsoir."

"Bonsoir, amour de ma vie."

-@-@-@-@

Will, generally not an early riser unlike Hannibal, was up before his lover, before the dawn. The house was silent, but when Bedelia came to his mind, his heart skipped a beat. Carefully untangling himself from the older man, he padded quietly across the hall and opened the door. She was on her back, her head turned away from him, hiding her face in the bend of her elbow, her other arm stretched across the empty side of the bed, as if searching for something even in slumber.

He quietly crossed the room to her, kneeling beside her. Gently, he touched her cheek for signs of fever and she inhaled sharply, jumping slightly before lowering her arm to peer at him. Recognizing him, she smiled sweetly, cradling his stubbly cheek with one hand.

"Morning," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

"Morning. Checking for fever?"

He blushed and said, "Actually, I was. I had to make sure you were all right."

"I'm fine, as you can see."

"I can, and I'm glad. Do you need anything?"

"My crutches, please. I need the-I have to use the restroom."

"It's all right, I'll get you there."

"Thank you, ma puce."

"Of course." He wrapped her arm around his neck and helped her to her feet. He helped her into the bathroom and gave her privacy, returning to her room. When he heard the toilet flush, he came back and escorted her to the bedroom again. "Would you like to get dressed? I can get your clothes for you and come back after you're dressed."

"I thought we had no secrets."

"We don't, but I respect your dignity."

"You've already seen it all anyway," she quipped saucily.

"You allow me to help you from a bath. You haven't allowed me to watch you change your clothes."

"You're a sweet man, Will Graham. Thank you, but it doesn't bother me, as I've told you before."

"I thought maybe that was just bravado."

"I was quite serious."

"Well, what would you like to wear today and I'll get it for you?"

"Do I make you nervous?"

"A little, but most people do. Twitchy, remember?"

Chuckling, she said, "I haven't forgotten, and I apologize for my rudeness."

"No need, you were right." He opened her large suitcase and was astonished to see very casual clothes, more so than he expected of her. "So, tank top and shorts or chinos today?"

"Tank and shorts is fine. Don't forget my bra, though."

"Any particular favorite?"

"The one that matches the underwear," she teased. He turned and looked at her with wide, slightly afraid eyes. Laughing aloud, she said, "The black one is fine. I was kidding."

"Oh, oh okay then."

He turned his back to her while she changed, which touched her unexpectedly. She called softly to him when she was ready and he took her into his arms like a bridegroom, she touched his face. He turned his head to look at her and she touched her lips to his, a barely there caress, and rested her head against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. He flushed and lowered his eyes bashfully, carrying her into the kitchen and seating her at the small table.

"Will?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, and that wasn't obligation or inducement."

"I know. I was just surprised by it."

"I like to keep people on their toes."

"Of that I have no doubt."

"So, what's for breakfast?"

"No idea, was hoping you had something for me, Julia Child."

"Breakfast was always Hannibal's thing. I'm not a morning person."

"You seem all right to me."

"I'm still on my best behavior. Wait until I feel comfortable around you."

"Oh fantastic, can't wait."

"Why don't we start with coffee? My brain can wake up and maybe then I'll be able to use it."

"Good thinking."

She watched him move effortlessly and let her mind drift, wondering about her place here and how long she would be able to stay.

"You can stay as long as you like, Tiny Oak," Will murmured, his eyes soft.

Snickering, she responded, "I know, but that isn't what I was thinking about and you know it."

"He wants you and you know it. All you have to do is let him in."

"It isn't that easy for me."

"Sure it is. Let down your guard and love him again."

"I never really lowered it, not like he thinks I did."

"I don't understand."

He poured each of them a cup of coffee, sitting hers on the table in front of her, watching with interest as she poured a surprising amount of cream and sugar into her cup and stirred, tasted it, and added more cream. She took a long drink, needing the caffeine desperately if she was to get through this, humming happily when she felt the first jolt to her system, the fog starting to clear from her mind as she made her decision.

Biting her lip, tears pooled in her eyes. "May I show you?"

"Of course, you can tell me anything, you know that."

And show him she did. She opened herself to him and showed him how her father had beaten her mother, how he had forced her into a marriage at nineteen to another wealthy man's son who had beaten and raped her repeatedly until one night she had grabbed his gun from his side of the bed and pointed it at the locked door he finally succeeded in kicking in. How Michele had laughed, charging at her, forcing her to make a split-second, life or death decision before she pulled the trigger. She emptied the clip into him at close range, hitting him in multiple places, and continued to squeeze the trigger in terror until she heard the sirens. She had stumbled out of the house, shirt hanging open where he had ripped the buttons off, her eye blacked, lip split, bruises on her neck and wrists, the thin trickle of blood that tickled as it crept down the inside of her leg to her calf before she collapsed into the arms of the officer that rushed to help her after seeing her condition. The gun was still in her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Bedelia raised her eyes and looked at Will, anticipating his judgement, and was surprised to see his horror become compassion and sorrow for her. His tenderness washed over her, soothing her, because though the nightmare of her past was over, it would always be painful to remember or share. Her eyes closed when he shifted her sideways onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, reassuring her without words he would keep her safe.

Finally, he whispered in her ear, "Does he know?"

"I couldn't, not back then."

"No need to explain, I understand, it was already a complicated situation with a lot of variables. But here, now, I think you should tell him. If you don't, he won't understand when you run hot and cold, not like I will. He won't understand why you can talk to me and not to him, because that is what will happen, you will come to me so you don't have to say the words out loud and make it real."

"I know, I'm just not sure if I can."

"You must. Those events shaped you, and no one blames you for that, but it's only fair that he understands your tendency toward silence and withdrawal to protect yourself. Did you not work on that in your own therapy?"

"I never told anyone, Will. I was afraid to, afraid I would be considered too damaged to practice."

"Consigned to the classroom, teaching not doing. Not many can understand that like I can."

"Oh God, Will, I'm sorry. That was very insensitive of me."

"Don't be sorry, show me how to control it. It can only help me be less awkward if I can learn not to be constantly bombarded by moods and thoughts of the people around me."

"Of course I will." Wrapping an arm around his waist, she made soothing strokes along his lower back, her temple resting on his collarbone, enjoying the peace of the morning and Will's soothing presence. "And you can help me be less cold and aloof."

"Of course I will."

"What have we here, a meeting of the minds?"

"That's one way to put it," Will uttered, sounding cranky.

Bedelia pressed her lips together to hide a smile and lifted her head, kissing his cheek. "We had a come to Jesus meeting, Hannibal, no need to get bent out of shape."

"A come to Jesus meeting? I'm not aware of that expression."

"We got our shit straightened out, that's all. We have an understanding and it's time the two of you do as well, that's all."

"Oh, now I am most certainly intrigued."

"That was underhanded, Will." She gave him a baleful look.

"It needs to happen, Tiny Oak, and it's best to rip the bandaid off."

"Fine. But after Hannibal cooks us a feast and I have another cup of coffee. And maybe a case of wine."

"No alcohol, that's cheating. You have to walk through the fire this time, but I'm here if you need me."

"Now I am exceedingly curious. Will you start while I cook?"

"If I can have wine."

"No. Sober as a judge, Bedelia, that's the only way."

Surly, her lip curled in displeasure, she growled, "Fine."

Starting at the beginning, Bedelia spoke the words she had locked inside herself for over forty years. Though she stumbled at times, at a loss to find the words, she managed to tell Hannibal the entire story, the parts of her life she had kept hidden from everyone, and finished as he rose to clear the table. She kept her eyes on the table, her stress level so high even Hannibal felt it, but so great was his anger, it blinded him to that for a brief moment as he slammed the dirty silverware into the sink, making her jump and whimper.

"Hannibal."

Will's voice was a whip crack, and the older man whirled around in fury. Seeing the state she was in, he pulled his own feelings under control in an instant, and went to her, taking her into his arms just as Will had done almost an hour before.

"Ma petit chou, je vous prie de m'excuser," he whispered into her hair, just above her ear.

"She needs a moment, Hannibal. Just hold her and let her know you care. She has to pull herself back together," Will advised quietly.

"Okay. Okay." He held her close, his nose in her hair, struggling to be calm for her sake. After ten minutes, she inhaled sharply and came back to herself. "Delia, ma petit chou?"

"Oui. Yes. Hannibal, what happened?"

"You told me about your father, your husband." He spoke softly, gently, stroking her hair. "You're safe now, no reason to be afraid here."

"I apologize, I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"Don't, Delia, do not apologize. You haven't done anything wrong. Your father and husband are very lucky they are already dead or each would be receiving a visit from me."

"Even if they weren't, they would not be worth the risk, but thank you all the same."

"No one will ever hurt you again. They had no right to hurt you, which I know you are keenly aware, and we will help see you through this. You have my word."

"I know, Hannibal, I do, and I thank you for that."

"There is no need." He kissed her temple and her cheek, hugging her around her middle for a time and then loosening his hold.

Turning her head, she kissed the corner of his mouth and reached for Will's hand, clasping it. "Don't worry about me, I don't fear either of you. I got past my fear of physical violence long ago, in fact, I believe that is the reason why, as Will so astutely noted, I didn't fear you as much as I should have."

"I was imposing, threatening even, but never physically violent with you. And given your history, it explains why you were threatened but unafraid of me. I am desperately sorry for what Chiyoh did to you, I'm sure it hasn't helped matters any."

"What she did isn't your fault. It doesn't matter that she learned it from you, she chose to act on that knowledge, which makes it her responsibility alone."

"It's a damn good thing the both of you are rational psychiatrists because us common folk would blame the hell out of anybody and everybody," Will said sarcastically, a smirk on his face.

Hannibal chuckled and Bedelia offered a slow smile, complete with teeth. This was going to be good for all three of them, however things worked out. Each of them was in need of something that only the other two could provide, and it was unusual, but they were already becoming a functioning family unit.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't claim to speak French. If it's wrong, blame Google. ;)


End file.
